The life and lies of Vera Sweet
by Kalyov
Summary: Warning: Do Not Read This Unless You Have Read Deathly Hallows!Vera Sweet a fourth year Ravenclaw student comes from a Muggle family...Quite early into her 4th year at Hogwarts her life is turned upside down.
1. Bad News

The life and lies of Vera Sweet

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Hello I'm Kara and I love HP so I decided to write a FF. It's been a long time since I have written one, so I hope this is good I started writing it before DH but stopped at the part where Vera went to bed. I couldn't figure out a reason for what I wrote until I read DH...So If you have not read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, do not read this. I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters, places, spells, or other things but my own characters I made up. The person who does own HP is a wonderful writer. Gotta love J.K.R.

Alright, here is my 1st chapter…please review and tell me what you think. I've really enjoyed writing what I have so far, and if you like it I will go on. I love Reviews.

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Vera Sweet was a fourth year student at Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Hogwarts was a boarding school that had four houses, upon your arrival you would be sorted into one of the four.

There is Gryffindor which values courage, chivalry and boldness; Hufflepuff which values hard work, loyalty, determination, patience, friendship and fair play; Ravenclaw which values intelligence, knowledge and wit; and Slytherin which values ambition, cunning and resourcefulness.

Vera was in Ravenclaw no doubt for her book smarts and good grades. She was a Muggle-Born unlike her friend who had come from a long line of Ravenclaw witches, every woman in her friend's family, as far back as anyone could remember had been in that house.

Vera looked around the Ravenclaw common room, everybody in there was poring over books, or pieces of parchment. It wasn't a very exciting place to be, all Ravenclaws seemed to do was study, not like the Gryffindors; she had heard rumors about how fun it was to be a Gryffindor. They always threw parties and broke about every school rule.

Her best friend Ginger Faye who was sitting beside her was working on a potion's essay for Professor Slughorn. Her quill scratching the parchment with ever word she wrote. Not looking up from her work she spoke to Vera.

"Honestly Vera you've been sitting here for hours, and haven't even written a single word! That essay is due tomorrow and it's supposed to be a foot long! It's already ten-thirty and you know lights out is at midnight, which makes it only an hour and a half until we have to go up to our dorms! You can't write a foot long essay in that amount of time."

Vera looked down at her parchment which she had absent mindedly let her quill drop ink all over. Sighing she tried to clean up the mess she made with her robes.

Her friend spoke again, this time looking up. "You shouldn't do that! Now look, you smeared it all over the place and gotten it all over your robes."

Vera spoke for what seemed like the first time in ages, her voice cracked from lack of use. "S-so what, my robes are black and so is my ink. Black can't stain black."

"What if they're two different shades of black? Really Vera, you should think before you act. You should have let me take care of it." Sighing the girl took out her wand and pointed it at the smeared mess on Vera's parchment and muttered "Evanesco." In seconds the black smears vanished from her parchment.

"Thank you, I should have thought of that. I don't know what's gotten into me, maybe it's just because I've already written an essay on this subject once before. In our first year Snape made us write one about the Draught of the Living Dead, and now Slughorn is too."

"I think Slughorn believes that Snape didn't teach us very well, and I'm beginning to think that as well. He never paid attention to anyone unless they were in Slytherin. The only reason he gave people from other houses any attention, was to yell at them. Professor Slughorn isn't like that, he likes all houses."

Vera sighed looking down at the blank piece of parchment and dipped her quill into her inkwell, and she wrote the words "The Draught of the Living Dead is" the door to the common room slammed open, before she could write any more. A tiny old man came shuffling into the room. Professor Flitwick was standing there with a parchment held out in front of him. He cleared his throat as everyone looked up from their work.

"I am sorry about this." He squeaked in a high pitched voice. "This notice has just been issued from the Ministry of Magic." Clearing his throat again, he squeaked on. "From this day fourth, until further notice all Muggle Born students will no longer be allowed to study magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Angry shouts could be heard all across the room. "It's not my doings!" Professor Flitwick squeaked nervously. "The Ministry it just trying to keep everyone safe, until all of this is over." He said rolling up the parchment he was holding.

Everyone stood up and started talking all at once; you could barely hear Professor Flitwick's squeaks for they were being drowned out by all the yelling. "Quiet please…stay calm...it's not my fault…I'm sorry…no, no, don't do that…please! Everyone go pack your things and go to bed…Professor McGonagall will explain it in the morning!" He stammered as people where jumping up and down with anger, knocking into him, ignoring what he had to say.

Finally after what seemed hours people started to quiet down, but had the same question on all of their minds, and on the tips of each of their tongues. "What was going on?" Professor Flitwick hadn't explained very much, but maybe that was because he didn't know the answer to that question himself.

The night grew on while Vera tossed and turned in her sheets. As morning dawned her tossing ceased just in time for her alarm to go off. Fumbling for her wand she tapped her clock with it, making the alarm turn off. She groped around on her bedside table for her glasses and put them on. Blinking she sat up and shook her head clear. Her long black hair flowed around her for a few seconds then fell flat again. Letting out a sigh she got up and started rummaging around in her trunk for some clean robes.

Her trunk was already packed, so she shut the lid and started dragging it down the stairs into the common room. About ten other students where standing around whispering to their friends, with scared looks on their faces as they held onto their trunks.

Professor Flitwick was standing by the door trying to get everybody's attention. "Professor McGonagall will explain everything to you in the Entrance Hall after you eat breakfast, and just leave your trunks here; they will be taken down for you."

Everyone sat their trunks down and started shuffling out the door. Vera dragged her feet and held her head down as she walked; with Professor Flitwick bobbling along behind her.

Vera slumped down at the Ravenclaw table and peered around the room. About 14 people from every house were sitting at every table. The sun was barely up, so she knew all these people must be all the Muggle-Born students at Hogwarts. Nobody else would get up this early unless they had to.

After thirty-minuets of barely touching her food, Vera swung her feet over the bench and got up. People stared after her as she walked into the Entrance Hall. In the Entrance Hall she flopped down on the bottom step of the staircase and waited for the others to finish eating.

Feeling sick to her stomach; she clutched her it as she looked around the room, taking in very little detail. She never really appreciated its beauty until now; the time that it was all being snatched away from her. She took Hogwarts for granted; she never realized how lucky she was to be there.

After what seemed ages, the other students started to file nervously out of the Great Hall. They all gathered around where Vera sat staring at each other. None of them knew what was going on, and why. They were all wearing the same scared nervous looks on their faces, and everyone took turns looking over their shoulder into the Great Hall, as they waited for Professor McGonagall to finish eating.

Five minuets later Professor McGonagall walked out of the Great Hall with the few remaining students tailing behind her. She stopped in the entrance to the Great Hall and looked around at everybody hovering in the Entrance Hall. After a moment or so, she spoke.

"I am sorry about this, but we have no say. The new Minister of Magic has made it a new law. All Muggle-Born students have to be evaluated and put on a Muggle-Born count record. After that, your wand will be snapped and you will be sent home. The new law states that Muggles can no longer learn magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Protest rang out around the room, echoing like a broken record. Professor McGonagall was trying to shush everyone so that she could talk. Finally the last echo died into thin air, and she continued to speak.

"After you are filed into the record your head of house will help you to the horseless carriages, which will take you to Hogsmeade Station, there you will board the Hogwarts Express. The Hogwarts Express will take you back to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, where your parents will be waiting to pick you up."

"They will call your names one by one; and you will go into this room here." Professor McGonagall said indicating to a small room off the Entrance Hall. "While inside this room, a Ministry of Magic official will ask you some questions, and put your name into a Muggle-Born log, and.." She paused looking flustered, her lips in a thin disapproving line. "They will snap your wand."

Another round of unhappy shouts rang though the hall, as she tried to calm them down. "I am sorry; I have no power over them, though I wish I did… I don't. Again I am sorry; I can't do anything about it."

Many of the students gapped at her, they couldn't believe that she had no power over these proceedings.

A seventh year Gryffindor spoke up above the crowd "But Dumbledore would never…"

"But Dumbledore isn't here is he? He's dead…He can't do anything about this," Snapped a Hufflepuff, cutting the Gryffindor girl's sentence short. People started defending Professor Dumbledore's name, arguing with the Hufflepuff boy. Vera recognized the boy as Justin Finch-Fletchley**, he was a **seventh year also, but the girl she did not know.

Just as McGonagall had said, students were called out one bye one, in alphabetical order. The crowed grew smaller and smaller; after what seemed to be a year the name "Sweet, Vera" was called out.

Gulping, she slowly stood up, her legs wobbled under her weight; she had not been on her feet for over and hour.

"It's ok, it's alright; just be you, and nothing will go wrong" She told to herself as she passed though the doors. Her own reassurances seemed hallow. What was going to happen after she got registered? She had no idea; the thought of not knowing what was to come scared her, and made her shiver. She stopped just inside the doorway and hugged herself; the cold terror that was washing over her would not subside.

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Alright that is all for now, in the next chapter she will be evaluated by a Ministry worker…But that's all Im going to tell you. ) Please tell me what you think so far.

- Kara


	2. Registration and Change

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If you have not read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, do not read this. I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters, places, spells, or other things but my own characters I made up. The person who does own HP is a wonderful writer. Love J.K.R.

Alright, here is my 2nd chapter…please review and tell me what you think. I've really enjoyed writing what I have so far, and if you like it I will go on. I love Reviews.

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"You are Vera Sweet, correct?" A voice asked fallowed by a fake cough. Vera jumped in surprise and looked around. There to her left stood a short squatty woman, who would have resembled a frog had she not been wearing all pink.

"I am Dolores Umbridge, and as you know I am head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission. That is why I am here, to ask you about your blood status, and log you into a file, if I find you are Muggle-Born."

She smiled a sweet but evil grin as Vera sat down at a small table. "Here have some water." Umbridge offered her a cup of water and sat opposite of her. She picked up her own water and started sipping it, watching Vera over the brim of the cup.

Vera remembered Umbridge quite well. Umbridge had taken over Hogwarts in her second year; nobody had liked the woman, well except for the Slytherins and Filch.

Vera glared at Umbridge as she conjured up a family tree for her and handed her a quill. "There is an anti-cheating spell cast upon this parchment, so you will not be able to lie about your family, and their blood status. You see over on this side, is for the Muggles and this side over here is for Wizarding families, if you are related to any; that is. "She pointed at the family tree, explaining the different parts to Vera, like she couldn't read. Vera had already figured this out, because it was labeled. She kept silent anyway and listened to what Umbridge had to say.

Umbridge poked the parchment in front of her and said. "Go on, get to work! I don't have all day!" Vera sighed loudly and replied sarcastically under her breath. "Yes Sr."

Glad that Umbridge had not heard her, she started to work on her family tree. Trying but failing to make up a family, she had to settle on her real one. Umbridge was watching over her shoulder, the smirk on her face getting bigger and bigger each time she tried to make a fake name.

After ten minuets Umbridge snatched the paper out of her hands and said. "That's enough! I don't need you to trace your whole family!" She steadied the paper in front of her face and started to read it. She flipped open a book on the table she was using and started to check the names.

"No, no, I'm dreadfully sorry, but it seems that you have no magical relatives at all. So if you would kindly hand over your wand, please." Umbridge's tone was sweet by deadly, as she held out her hand to take Vera's wand from her.

Vera took swift action, without even thinking, she smacked Umbridge's hand out of the way and pointed her wand at her. "Don't make me jinx you, because I will!" She growled. Umbridge laughed and stood her ground. "My dead child, I know far better spells than you could ever dream of. I'm not scared of a fourth year, and before you have a chance to hex me, I'd pull my wand out and you'd be in trouble." She said with the same smirk on her face as earlier. "Anyhow your wand won't work as well for you as my wand works for me. Wands only choose Wizards, and as your family history states, your not a Witch, you're a Muggle!"

"My wand did choose me! I brought it from Ollivander a bit over three years go! I despise people who think only purebloods can do magic. If only purebloods could do magic, then the Wizarding race would quickly die out! I'm sick of you, and I'm sick of your stupid rules, you Muggle hater!" Vera sneered and jabbed to wand towards Umbridge.

Umbridge stumbled backwards and grabbed for her wand, but before she could take any action. Vera shouted "Stupefy!" Vera's wand sent out little red sparks, but nothing happened. She should have known that would happen. She had never tried that spell before, just read about it in a spell book.

Umbridge laughed at her and smirked. "Didn't I tell you that your wand wouldn't work for you because you're a Muggle? Now hand it over, or I'll have to take it by force!"

"N-no you're not getting my wand!" Vera replied in a deadly tone, as she wracked her brain for another spell. It was heard to think under pressure like this. Only one other spell came to her, she had used it once on a fellow student; she prayed it would work again. Umbridge still had not used her wand; Vera figured it was because she didn't want to write up an injury report when she got back to her office.

Vera murmured the only other spell she could think of, "Petrificus Totalus." Umbridge's arms snapped to her side, went ridged, and toppled over. Vera gasped at her self. "I can't believe I just attacked a Ministry Official!" She groaned, and looked around. There was second door on the opposite side of them room. She quickly walked towards it and slipped though them quietly.

Vera tore off down towards the Ravenclaw common room. Halting at the door she reached out a hand to the bronze knocker that was in the shape of an eagle. She knocked once and words came from the eagle's beak. "Which came first, the Chicken or the egg?"

Vera thought for a bit then said. "The Chicken came first because if the egg did, nothing would be there to sit on it, so it could hatch."

"Very well," The eagle said, and the door swung open.

The common room was almost empty except for the people that were pureblood or half-blood. Vera spotted her friend in the corner with her face in her hands. She didn't look up until Vera sat down beside her. "I need your help!" Vera whispered to Ginger, who had wrapped her arms tightly around Vera. "I-I can't breath!" Vera stammered, and caught her breath after Ginger freed her from her tight grasp.

"I thought you would be sent home!" Ginger cried.

"Shhh, be quiet!" Vera said trying to hush her friend. "Im not suppose to be here, and I should have been kicked out, but I…" She trailed off and looked at her hands.

"What, what did you do?" Ginger asked looking at her friend with a worried expression.

"I, um…I well….I put Umbridge in a full body bind!" She said quickly. "I know that was wrong, but she was going to snap my wand! I have just the same amount of rights to use a wand as she dose. The wand chose me as its bearer, so I should be able to use it!"

"Vera, you just broke about a dozen laws! You're going to get in trouble, you jinxed a Ministry Official!" Her friend exclaimed in a loud whisper.

"I know, I know, that's why I need your help!" Vera said grabbing the two spell books that were beside Ginger on the table. She handed the one to Ginger and flipped open the second one. "I need to find some spells, please help me."

"What kind of spells?" Ginger asked warily.

"Anything, preferably one that will help me change my appearance." Vera replied as she stopped on a page. "Do you think this will work? It's a color changing charm. Do you think it will change the color of my hair? I can always try it, and if it doesn't, oh well, we'll try something else."

Vera pulled out a piece of parchment and tapped it with her wand as she said the incantation for the color changing charm. At first nothing happed, but she would not give up. On her fifteenth try, the parchment finally changed color. Even thought it was the wrong color then what she had hoped for, she was still happy with the result.

Ginger eyed the slip of parchment. "Blue?" She asked.

"Well, its not want I wanted. I was going for more of a light brown or blonde, but maybe it'll work better on hair?" Vera tapped her own head with her wand, and again she had the same result.

Ginger started to laugh. "You have blue hair!" She exclaimed.

"I know, I know, but I don't really care what color of hair I have, as long as it's not black.

Ginger looked back down at the book she had been flipping though. "I'm sorry but I can't find anything in here that might help you." She said with a great sigh and tossed the book aside and picking up another one she found close by.

"I think my hair should be shortened and I'll put my contacts in." Vera said thinking aloud.

Ginger looked up and whispered. "I found a Stretching Jinx, to make you taller. And if you want a hair cut, you can use Diffindo, it's what my mum uses to cut my hair. Here let me try this Jinx on you." She pointed her wand at Vera, but Vera stopped her before she said anything.

"No way, not until you practice on something!" Vera said holding her hand up. "Here try this." She said pulling a hair tie off her wrist.

Ginger pointed her wand at the hair tie and whispered the incantation. "I think it grew some!" Ginger stated proudly.

"No it didn't, you need your eyes checked." Vera noted as she examined the hair tie.

"Fine, I'll try again then." Ginger pointed her wand at the hair tie again and this time it grew a few inches. "It worked!" She said grinning.

"Quiet!" Vera hissed, and Ginger put her hand over her mouth. "Alright, you can try it on me now. Please don't hurt me."

"Oh I won't, now stand up." Ginger stood and cleared her throat and waited for Vera to stand, once Vera was standing Ginger pointed her wand at her. "Ready? Ok, on the count of three, one, two, three." On three she said the incantation and Vera started to grow. Vera went from five foot two inches, to five foot six inches in les than ten seconds.

"Wow I'm taller than you now, this is weird." Vera exclaimed looking down at her friend who was five foot three inches. "Now all I need to do is cut my hair, and what do you think about adding freckles to my face, too risky? Nah, I think we can do it."

Vera and sat back down and Ginger stood behind her with her wand out. "Now sat very still so I can cut your hair. I think we'll cut your hair really short, I know it'll be a big change, but that's what you need, a big change, so you're not caught." Ginger measured how short she thought Vera's hair should be and pointed her wand at the spot. "Diffindo" she said, and at once, most of Vera's hair was on the floor.

Vera put her hands to her head and felt her hair. "It's so short! I feel much lighter, man this is crazy. I'm going to miss my hair."

"I know but you have to do this, unless you want to go to Azkaban or something." Ginger said sitting back down and opening the spell book again.

"Freckles might be a bit tough, but we can try it. You already have one or two on each cheek, maybe we can multiply them." Ginger said looking closely at Vera's face. "I read it in a book once, I even tried it. It took me about 30 times, but I finally duplicated some parchment. It's a very handy spell; I've used it a few more time, for other things. Just take off your glasses and close your eyes." Vera placed her glasses on the table and squeezed her eyes shut. Ginger pointed her wand at Vera's face and said "Geminio."

"Ouch!" Vera breathed rubbing her face. "That stung."

"I'm sorry, but it worked. If you had fiery read hair, you could pass yourself off as a Weasley!"

"Oh come off it. Can you tell it's me? Maybe we should make my ears bigger and my nose longer. I don't want to be recognized."

"Well you sort of look like yourself, here lets use that Stretching Jinx again. Close your eyes, so I can make your nose longer." She pointed her wand at Vera and her nose somewhat lengthened. "Good, good, now let's use that spell we were taught in DADA." She pointed her wand at Vera's ears and said "Engorgio." Vera's ears became slightly bigger. "Great, now you don't look anything like yourself." Ginger stopped and drew in a quick breath. "Oh you forgot to change the color of your eyebrows!"

"Oh, I forgot, I'm glad you noticed!" She pointed her wand at her eyebrows and they became blue. "Now I need to go back up to my dorm and get my contacts." She said shoving her glasses back on her face. "Thank you for helping me." She said grinning and stood, she made her way towards her dorm.

Vera got to her the door or their dorm and looked inside, nobody was in there, and so she walked in and started to rummage though her trunk. They were all the way at the bottom. She took them out of their case and took her glasses off. She slipped one in each eye, and placed the case back in her trunk. She folded her glasses and went to her bedside table and placed them in their case, then put them in her trunk as well.

Vera went back down to the common room and sat beside her friend. "So, do I look different?" She asked.

Ginger looked her over and said in a whisper. "Vera, if I didn't know it was you, I would think you were somebody else. I can't even tell it's you; the only thing that is the same is your eyes. But many people haven't paid attention to your eyes, because you always wear your glasses. You look like a different person all together."

Vera smiled. "I need a new name too, you can now call me Delaine Skylar."


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